This week is part three in our series focus on Women’s Health with HealthyWomen. And this week the focus is on women’s health when it comes to mission, trainings and deployments. I’m excited to talk about this topic because I think it is another important topic that doesn’t get discussed enough. And I’m excited to have Pamela Price R.N. as my guest this week to share her knowledge and expertise. Pamela is also an Army veteran and today she works as the deputy director The Balm in Gilead managing the various health initiatives of the organization.
Women’s Health on Missions, Trainings and Deployments
Thank you to our sponsor HealthyWomen not only for sponsoring this episode for the work they are doing to bring the stories of military women to life while also providing resources to help women in military life. Check out their Ready, Healthy and Able site to learn more today.
How important is hygiene to overall women’s health?
It is very important. And it affects not only physical health but also mental health. It is important to realize that how you feel when you are dirty can have an affect on your mental health too. But it is also important to know what you will need when you are deployed or at a training in an aster environment.
How can military women prepare before a deployment, training or mission so they can stay healthy?
Pam advocates that there is a check list and people have a go bag full of things they need to help keep themselves clean and healthy. Being prepared and ready for the challenges ahead can make the difference between being able to stay clean or not. If you know what facilities are available it can help you be prepared.
What advice do you have for keeping your health a priority when you’re in an austere environment or somewhere where you lack privacy?
The importance of feeling safe can not be understated. Even if you can’t have privacy knowing you have a safe place to either clean yourself or change is important. We also discussed how importance positive body image talk is to help people to feel more comfortable in their own skin.
How can command teams support the health of their female service members?
Support the team members. Create an environment where team members can come up with solutions and not bound by rules that don’t fit the situation. I shared about my experience deployed. Our team broke the rules when we went to Bagram. We got a tent and all team members were welcome. It allowed us to not be interrupted by other teams the way we were in the women’s tent. It was the best situation for our team but technically it was against the rules.
HealthyWomen’s new Ready, Healthy & Able program
It provides health resources to active duty servicewomen and service members with female biology, and you are a member of the expert consortium guiding this work. This program is meant to help women not only have a place to get resources and support but also open the door to a conversation about women’s health. That is why the podcast series was created. An open door to a conversation.
Check out part 1 and 2 of the series
Reproductive Health in the Military
